


A Family Divided

by orphan_account



Series: Unforseen Family [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, Fabray-Berry Family, Family Feels, Happy Ending, Light Angst, New Family Addition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-16
Updated: 2013-09-16
Packaged: 2019-04-22 21:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14317845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Summary: How does the family cope with the arrival of Beth back in their lives. One-shot set in 'Unforseen Circumstances' verse.*A/N: Okay guys, here is the one-shot to 'Unforseen Circumstances' that I promised you. I apologise it took so long, but I had some university assignments that I needed to finish first :).  I hope you guys all enjoy, I wanted to keep it as realistic as I could and hopefully it comes across that way. For all those that are waiting, I have about 3 one-shots planned for 'The Plan' verse so keep a look out for those. All spelling and grammatical errors are my own and I apologise for them in advance. A huge thank you to my twin sister though, who always takes the time to read through my stories for me and correct any mistakes that she comes across :).Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it characters, that honour belongs to one Mr. Ryan Murphy...I am merely borrowing them temporarily.





	A Family Divided

* * *

Title: A Family Divided  
Genre: Family/Drama  
Author: Carcan  
Words: 13933  
Rating: M  
Status: Complete  
Summary: How does the family cope with the arrival of Beth back in their lives. One-shot set in 'Unforseen Circumstances' verse.

* * *

_**A Family Divided**_

  
  
Lucas was seated on the Living Room sofa in his Sunday best, watching Puck and Quinn interacting with Beth.  
  
It had been 1 month since the Watson's contacted Quinn and two weeks since they had first officially met her. Today was the first time she was meeting the whole family.  
  
Lucas stared at the blonde girl, a forlorn look on his face, she was everything he wasn't she was tall, she was clever,she was talkative, she was friendly she was overall just better. He had noticed how distant his mommy and Uncle No-  
  
No were becoming lately and how affectionate and loving they were with Beth already it appeared preferring her.  
  
He watched his Uncle No-No toss his football with Beth the football he had bought him with the promise to teach him how to play he was still waiting.  
  
He turned his attention to his mommy and granny, whose focus was locked on the small girl as they took photos of her smiling in a way that hadn't been directed at him in weeks.  
  
Rachel and Kevin were leaning against the kitchen wall next to each other, watching the petite 4 year old he actually looked closer to 2 years of age than his actual 4. The two of them had been keeping a careful eye on him for the last two weeks and had noticed as the small boy gradually became withdrawn and distressed...apparently, in their family, they were the only ones that had.  
  
Rachel followed her son's eye line to where Quinn, Puck and the rest of the gleeks were all fawning over the blonde's miniature. She had all but begged Quinn not to tell Luke who Beth was, but the blonde and Judy had insisted much to her dismay she didn't think he was old enough or had the intellectual capacity to understand what that would mean, and now as she watched her baby fidget restlessly, going unnoticed by all the others she feared she was right.  
  
The past month hadn't been a bed of roses for her at home either. Quinn had basically stopped talking to her, she didn't think it was a conscious decision on her part; she had just become so wrapped up in having Beth back in her life again that she spent most of her time with Puck. She understood and even expected them to grow closer, they shared a bond that she would never be a part of, but she never expected for her and Lucas to be shut out completely For the first time since her and Quinn got together she felt like she didn't fit like she didn't belong. To make matters worse, Puck had started referring to her blonde girlfriend as 'Baby Mama' again, which only served to feed her insecurities and Lucas'confusion.  
  
Kevin bumped his shoulder against the diva's, "Hey Rach, why don't you and I take Luke to the park, we can make a day of it play some football, eat some ice cream"  
  
Rachel hoped her face reflected the absolute relief and gratitude she felt towards the man in that moment, "Yeah " she stated, with a nod of her head, "that sounds like a really good idea."  
  
With a nod of his head, the man pushed off the wall and walked towards the small boy, brows furrowing in concern when he noticed the wet patch pooling under his legs. He lifted the small boy into the air, the excess pee running down his legs and onto the sofa, pulling him close to his chest his body serving as a shield, protecting him from any possible wondering eyes, "It's okay Luke, Grandpas got you," he cooed.  
  
Kevin hadn't been around during baby gate and therefore wasn't as attached to the situation as everyone else. He didn't know Beth intimately, he had met her and she truly seemed like a well adjusted and wonderful little girl, but he couldn't say what effect, if any, the situation was having on her and frankly it wasn't his job. But Lucas Lucas was his grandson; he loved him as if he was his own flesh and blood, he had a relationship with him and therefore knew, without a doubt in his mind that he wasn't coping. Kevin walked over to Rachel with a knowing look in his eyes, they both knew Lucas had been wetting himself more frequently and that was so unlike him, he was potty trained, if he didn't go himself then he usually told someone he needed to go.  
  
Rachel gently extracted the small boy from Kevin's arms and held him against her chest, swaying him gently, "Oh, baby " she cooed, kissing his forehead, "Are you okay?"  
  
The petite blonde boy didn't answer, choosing rather to grip tightly to her, attempting bury his face in her chest as if trying to hide from all possible prying eyes.  
  
Judy, who had been walking through the living room towards the kitchen, caught sight of the chair and the subsequent wet patch, immediately changing direction and walking towards the offending object, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What happened here?" she asked, eyes immediately drawn to her husband's back, Rachel and Lucas hidden behind him.  
  
Both Kevin and Rachel froze at the question, unsure what to do the last thing they wanted to do was draw attention away from Beth on this day, Quinn, Puck and Judy deserved to enjoy this day and not feel guilty about what Lucas was feeling they could fix that as long as they got him out of the house. Kevin was just about to turn around and face his wife he'd faced criminals; he could face this when they were saved by a blonde angel.  
  
"I think someone must have spilt something in all the excitement of finally getting to meet Beth." Brittany explained, sidling up next to the older Fabray.  
  
Judy kept her eyes locked on her husband's back, her sixth sense screaming that there was more to this than what the blonde was saying, but deciding to go along with her for now. She slowly turned to the girl, giving her a tight smile and a nod of her head, "Well, I best get a towel to lay down on the couch we don't want people accidently sitting in the wet."  
  
She explained, her eyes drifting to her husband's back one more time before walking off to get a towel.  
  
Both Kevin and Rachel exhaled in relief, Brittany walking over to join them, "Thanks Britt, we owe you one," the brunette diva sighed, resting her cheek on the blonde boy's head.  
  
Brittany shrugged her shoulders in response, gripping one of the small boy's hands, "It's okay," she murmured, "It looked like you could use some help."  
  
Rachel nodded her head, looking down at Lucas; she didn't really feel like talking about this, it wouldn't do any good so she decided to change the subject, "What do you say Luke, do you want to come out with Grandpa and mama"  
  
"And me," Brittany chimed in, interrupting the diva.  
  
"And Aunt Brittany," Rachel added, eyeing the girl standing next to her before returning her focus to her son, "We'll go to the park and play some football Does that sound like fun?"  
  
Lucas played with the chain around his mother's neck mumbling something into her chest that none of them could make out.  
  
"What was that baby?" the brunette questioned, lowering her head slightly to increase the likelihood of hearing any further whispered words from the petite boy.  
  
Lucas looked up at his mother, his lower lip quivering as he fought his desire to cry, "Uncle No-No suppose to teach me to play football," he whispered softly, inhaling shakily. He looked to where Quinn and Puck were seated with proud smiles on their faces, hands clasped tightly as they watched Beth build a puzzle, a lone tear escaping his eye, "Not happening anymore," he explained with a sigh before looking up at his mama and nodding his head, "Let's go to the park."  
  
Rachel could feel her anger rise at the sight of her girlfriend and best friend looking so cozy on the couch, at the same time her heart was breaking for Lucas and the obvious pain he was experiencing. Her jaw clenched tightly in an attempt to reign in her emotions she needed to get out of there for both their sanity's.  
  
"Alright " she stated with a stiff smile, injecting as much enthusiasm as she could into the statement, "Let's get you changed and then we can go to the park and play football. Grandpa Kevin will teach you " she explained, kissing the small boys head, "trust me when I say he's a much better teacher than Uncle No-No."  
  
Lucas frowned, staring down at his clothes, he had dressed in his best because his mama said that it was their job to support mommy today would he still be doing that if he changed. He looked up at Rachel, his hand rubbing his head in distress he didn't know what to do, "Can't change mama," he mumbled, squirming slightly in her arms, "Support mommy."  
  
The brunette could feel tears accumulate in her eyes, that was the one major internal conflict she felt if they left they wouldn't be here for Quinn on one of the most important days of her life, but if they stayed she would be consciously putting her son in a position to be hurt. She really wanted to be there for Quinn but ultimately her son was her priority and he would always come first in her life plus Quinn had the support of so many others, so it wasn't like she was completely abandoning her she probably wouldn't even notice if they left, "It's okay baby, mommy will understand" she mused lovingly she just really needed to change him out of his wet pants.  
  
The small boy nodded his head somewhat reluctantly, "You change also?" he asked, directing pleading eyes at his mother.  
  
"Of course baby," She cooed. "I can't go run around the park in my fancy dress," she explained, pulling at the hem of her knee length black dress for emphasis.  
  
"And I'm going to change too," Kevin exclaimed, ruffling the small boy's hair, "and I'm sure your mama can organise your Aunt Britt a change of clothes as well."  
  
Both Rachel and Brittany nodded their heads emphatically in agreement, "So what do you say bud?" she asked, swaying him gently.  
  
"Okay " he murmured, nuzzling into her neck.  
  
"Okay!" Kevin exclaimed with an excited clap of his hands, "You guys head down the hallway to get changed and I'll head downstairs to do the same. We'll reconvene in the kitchen in about 15 minutes and then we'll hit the park." He stated, backing away from the girls and towards the kitchen, turning at the very last minute and heading out.  
  
Rachel turned and headed towards her bedroom, signalling for Brittany to follow, "Come on, I'm sure Quinn has something that will fit you."  
  
Quinn managed to draw her eyes away from her biological daughter long enough to look around the room, a frown forming on her face when she didn't see the two people she was looking for. She slowly got off the chair and made her way to the kitchen in the hopes of finding them, only to be disappointed when they weren't there. She had absolutely no idea where they could have gone in such a short amount of time she was sure she had seen Lucas sitting on the couch mere minutes ago.  
  
She turned to exit the kitchen and continue her search when she noticed Brittany entering the living room from the hallway dressed in her clothes, "Britt " she called, drawing the blonde's attention to her as she made her way over to her, "What are you doing wearing my clothes?"  
  
Brittany looked down at the clothes she was wearing, her eyes widening in realisation at how strange this must look to the other girl, "Oh!" she exclaimed, a sheepish smile forming on her face, "Rachel leant me some of your stuff to wear to the park."  
  
Quinn shook her head, completely confused now, "Who's going to the park?"  
  
"Kevin, Rachel, Lucas and I," Brittany exclaimed with an excited bounce in her step, "It's so exciting Kevin's going to treat Lucas how to play football."  
  
Quinn felt her heart break slightly that was something she was supposed to be there for, that Puck wanted to teach him to do. Couldn't they do it another day when she could be present why did it have to be today, "Why are you going to the park?"  
  
Just as Brittany opened her mouth to respond the diva decided to make her appearance, Lucas curled into her chest, wearing nothing but a vest and shorts. She had just spent the last 30 minutes fighting with the small boy, who outright refused to wear any shirts he got from Puck judging by the way he threw them on the fall he held a lot of anger for the man. "Britt, could you take him to Kevin for me," Rachel asked, passing the small whimpering boy to her, "Apologise to him for me. I didn't want to keep him waiting, but somebody " she stated, tapping Lucas' nose gently, "was being difficult about what he wanted to wear."  
  
Quinn watched the other blonde walk into the kitchen with their son before turning her focus back to the diva, "Why are you guys going to the park?" she reiterated, her eyebrow raised in question.  
  
Rachel stared at Quinn for the moment , completely in awe of the fact that this was basically going to be the first conversation they had in weeks and she was going to have to lie to her, "Umm Kevin is feeling a little left out. I mean he wasn't here during everything with Beth so he's battling to relate. We're just going to go to the park with him for a while, hopefully make him feel a little better."  
  
The blonde stared at her sceptically for a minute before finally sighing with a resigned nod of her head, "Okay but don't go for too long I don't want you guys to miss out on meeting Beth." She stated, steeping forward and wrapping her arms around the small girl, a small frown gracing her features at how awkward the embrace felt it hadn't felt like that yesterday had they actually hugged yesterday?  
  
The brunette pulled back from the embrace, placing a chaste kiss to the girl's lips before stepping away from her. She got no comfort from the feel of her girlfriend's arms around her. It was something that hadn't occurred in a long while, and now that it finally had, a barrier existed between them due to everything that wasn't being said, that she couldn't even enjoy it. "We should get going," Rachel mumbled, gesturing to the kitchen where Kevin, Brittany and Lucas were waiting for her.  
  
"Okay " Quinn stated hesitantly, "I'll come say goodbye to Lucas."  
  
Rachel nodded, walking into the kitchen, the blonde following close behind.  
  
"Hey " the blonde cooed, smiling lovingly at the small boy, arms outstretched to take him from Kevin.  
  
Lucas stared around the room for a moment, convinced she couldn't possibly be talking to him. When he was sure the Beth wasn't in the vicinity he looked at her somewhat hesitantly and pointed at himself, "Me?" he questioned softly.  
  
Quinn's heart plummeted at the small gesture, completely unsure as to why he would do as such who else would she be talking to, "Of course silly," she chastised gently, extracting him from Kevin's arms. "I just wanted to come and say goodbye before you guys left for the park,"  
  
The petite boy's head snapped up to look at her, "Be Back!" he exclaimed, gripping her shirt, "to support," he nodded his head, before resting it on her shoulder. "Be back to support " he repeated, his little fist tightening subtly.  
  
She furrowed her brow she was so confused, and every encounter she had just seemed to be making it worse, "I know you're coming back baby," she murmured, rocking him gently.  
  
"Hey Rach!" Finn yelled, drawing the groups focus to him. "I'm glad you finally got Luke out of that monkey suit he seriously looked like a waiter," he explained with a playful smirk, earning a role of the eyes from the diva.  
  
"Firstly, it wasn't a monkey suit just a nice white button up shirt and black slacks," she explained Quinn stood stock still, she had absolutely no idea he had been wearing his Sunday best. She had seen him on the couch how come she couldn't recall what he had been wearing Did she seriously not focus long enough on her son to notice he was dressed in his best wear. She wracked her brain, trying to recall a single memory of him wearing the clothes, but she couldn't where was she when he was getting ready. She stared down at the small boy in her arms she hadn't even complimented his outfit.  
  
"We should get going," Kevin stated, drawing the blonde from her thoughts. She nodded her head giving Lucas one final kiss before passing him off to Kevin.  
  
Rachel walked up next to Quinn giving her hand a squeeze, "Go spend some time with your daughter " she murmured, giving her a small genuine smile. "We'll be back later," she added before letting go of her hand and walking out the door.  
  
Rachel and Brittany were seated on two swings, Lucas straddling the brunette's waist, his face buried in her chest as the two girl's scooted forward and backwards slowly.  
  
"Mama " he murmured into her chest.  
  
"Mhmm," she hummed, running her fingers soothingly through his hair.  
  
"Beth, Uncle No-No and mommy a family?" he asked, wiping his nose on her shirt.  
  
Rachel and Brittany locked eyes, having absolutely no idea how to answer that question. At the most basic level, yes, they were a family but there were so many other factors and complications that one needed to take into account in this situation all of which a four year old would never understand. She placed a kiss to her son's head, rubbing his back soothingly, "Yeah baby," she cooed, "they're a family in a sense."  
  
Lucas jerkily nodded his head, inhaling shakily, "So just us now?" he asked, his fists clenching tightly on her sides.  
  
Rachel furrowed her brow in confusion, "Why would you say that?" she questioned, hoping desperately to obtain some insight into her son's train of thought.  
  
"Beth's better " he whimpered with a shrug, "Mommy pick them cos Beth's better."  
  
The brunette could feel her blood begin to boil, she was so furious with Quinn in that moment and a little at Judy as well. They were so narrow-minded about telling him about Beth not even considering how confused it would make him.  
  
They couldn't even take the time to clarify things for him No, that would take up too much time time they couldn't afford to spend with their son and grandson respectively. She gently loosened his grip on her sides, pushing him away from her so she could look into his beautiful brown eyes, "She is not better," she stated firmly, "she's just different."  
  
He looked down at her lap, "She's like other kids," he murmured he knew he wasn't the same as most children his age. He wasn't oblivious to the looks he got from both parents and their kids he was short, he had glasses and something to help him hear he was broken.  
  
"I've always found normal boring," Brittany stated, finally joining the conversation, "I've never been like everyone else and your mama hasn't either we're unique, and you are too. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that."  
  
Rachel directed a grateful smile at the blonde before turning back to her son, "See baby you can be like mama and Aunt Britt. We like being different and unique it's what makes us special." Lucas peeked up at her, blushing slightly, "Unique like mama."  
  
"Yeah " she mused, smiling lovingly at him, "Unique just like your mama."  
  
"And Aunt Brittany," The blonde added with an indignant huff, not at all liking the fact that she had forgotten. The diva rolled her eyes, a teasing smile on her face, "Yes, like Aunt Brittany too." Kevin walked over to the trio, sliding his phone into his pocket with a sigh, "Well I'm pretty sure Judy is onto us," he stated.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Rachel queried.  
  
"Well firstly she thinks I'm not liked enough for Brittany to want to come to the park to cheer me up," Kevin explained.  
  
"That's not very nice," Brittany exclaimed she liked Kevin just fine and she hated seeing anyone sad.  
  
"And secondly " Kevin continued, "She found Lucas' pants soaking in the laundry room and the pile of his shirts crumpled up and tossed on his bedroom floor." He locked eyes with the girls, "She knows her normally obsessively neat, potty trained grandson is wetting himself and making a mess she knows something is wrong with them."  
  
Rachel pondered everything she had just learnt for a moment before standing up from her swing and placing Lucas on the floor in front of her. "Well, I see no reason in worrying about it now. It is still going to be there to address when we get home, so I suggest we get this football game on and enjoy the rest of our day out," she enthused, hands on hips and beaming smile on her face.  
  
Kevin and Brittany locked eyes for a moment before coming to the decision to just go with the diva. The man smiled broadly, bending down and picking up the small boy, "Come on Luke, you can be on my team we are so going to beat the girl's," he stated enthusiastically, running with his grandson over to the football.  
  
Finn and Santana were seated next to each other in the living room, matching scowls on their faces as they watched Puck throw his arm around Quinn and pull her into his side, the two grinning like fools as Beth showed them a picture she had been drawing. They looked far too cosy for their liking, Puck was supposed to be Rachel's best friend and here he was blatantly disregarding her relationship with the blonde.  
  
The Latina basically growled, she wanted to physically hurt them but she couldn't do that in front of an innocent child, so she would have to make them hurt in a different way be more subtle about it. She leant forward in her chair, her elbows resting on her knees, "Hey, you know what? You two should totally take Beth to see that animated movie we took Luke to see on Saturday."  
  
Quinn's head snapped to the Latina, "What animated movie?"  
  
Kurt looked up at the blonde from the picture he had been colouring in with Beth, "I can't remember it's name at the moment, but it was so cute. It had a little bunny and birdie " he eyed Santana curiously, "and if memory serves me correctly, which it usually does, you said you didn't like the film."  
  
Santana scoffs, blushing slightly, "I didn't but but Britt and the kid did."  
  
"They definitely did," Mercedes mused, a fond smile on her face as she remembered the little boy's entranced look as he watched the movie. "Puck told us you guys couldn't come because you had plans to make, so I had taken my camera with me so that I could take photos of Luke so you got the chance to see his excited little face but they confiscated it at the door," she explained with a frown.  
  
"Along with your tots," Sam added, an amused smile on his face.  
  
"Hey!" Mercedes exclaimed pointing at the boy, "Those tots were hurting nobody they had no right to take them. Plus they were for Lucas not me," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
Finn scoffed, "Lucas doesn't eat tots."  
  
"Yeah he does," she stated with a smirk. "He ate like half a tray of them two weeks ago when Kurt, Blaine and I baby sat him while Rachel went to her audition."  
  
Quinn's eyes jerked to Mercedes, she was still trying to comprehend the fact that they had all gone to a movie one that she had no idea about, and that Lucas supposedly now loved tots .only to find out that Rachel had an audition that she knew absolutely nothing about, "What audition?" she questioned how could she not know about this?  
  
Tina stared at the blonde in confusion, "The Off- Broadway play that her professor recommended she audition for about a month ago." She stated factually, assuming the girl just needed to be reminded about it, "Her audition was two weeks ago and she killed it Mike and I went with her." She locked eyes with Santana across the room, "Do we know if she got it yet?"  
  
Santana stared at the pair sitting adjacent to her, the blonde looking hurt and confused and Puck looking ashamed and guilty. She smirked they needed this, they had to wake up and realise that while they were in their own little bubble, the real world carried on and they had been missing out on it. "She called Britt yesterday to say she got it rehearsals are on Tuesday nights, so she can still perform at the club on Thursday nights," she explained, leaning back in her chair just waiting for the fireworks.  
  
Puck finally seemed to gain the use of his vocal cords, he had known about the movie (something Quinn was no doubt going to bitch him out about later for not telling her), but he had no idea about and of this other stuff when did Rachel stop talking to him when was the last time she called? He looked up at the Latina, a little shocked at the sneer that was being directed his way, "What performance at the club?"  
  
Finn had to clench his jaw to prevent himself from going off on the boy, here he was playing happy family with his supposed best friend's girl. He'd made his own mistakes in the past, but this wasn't high school anymore and what Puck was doing was plain wrong he was ruining a family. "That night you and Quinn left the bar early to meet the Watson's, Sam and I introduced her to the owner, who hired her for a trial run last Thursday and she was such a hit that he hired her as a regular on the spot," he stated through gritted teeth.  
  
"Speaking of which " Sam began, "I play guitar for her, so we'll have to move our band practice to Wednesday."  
  
Puck stared at the blonde boy for a long moment, completely lost in thought why didn't Rach ask him to play the guitar for her?  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem should it Puck," Finn ground out, directing a hard glare at him, "I mean you've missed the last two practices anyway."  
  
Puck nodded his head, still too lost in thought to answer.  
  
Santana stood up from her chair, satisfied that her job had been done the seed had been planted, now she just had to wait for the flower to bloom, "I'm gonna go call Britt, see if Luke is winning at the football thing."  
  
As she turned around to walk into the kitchen a small voice stopped her dead in her tracks, "Is Luke the baby that was here earlier?" Beth asked, eyes never leaving the picture she was colouring.  
  
Quinn smiled lovingly at the young blonde sitting on the floor in front of her, "That's right sweetheart."  
  
She nodded her head in understanding, resting the back of her colouring pencil against her lip contemplatively, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
Quinn gaped at the small girl for a minute, having no idea what would make Beth say something like that why would she even think that, "Honey, what makes you think there's anything wrong with him?"  
  
Beth looked up at her, big hazel eyes locking with her own, "He was sad today," she stated. "He seemed scared didn't want to talk or play with anyone," she gripped Quinn's leg, drawing herself onto her knees. "Is someone made at him cos I know that when my mommy gets mad at me I get sad," she explained with a nod of her head.  
  
Quinn ran her fingers through the small girl's hair, it never failed to amaze her how much children noticed what they as adults missed she hadn't noticed any of what Beth had mentioned, Lucas had seemed fine.  
  
Santana chuckled, drawing her arms across her chest, it would be the kid that noticed, "No one's angry at him Bethie, he's just going through something at the moment and he doesn't know how to deal with it."  
  
Beth nodded her head in understanding, "Can we help him?" she asked, looking back up at Quinn, "When I have a problem, my mommy and daddy always help me and it gets fixed faster."  
  
The blonde just smiled sadly at the little girl, dropping a kiss to her forehead, she didn't realise her son had a problem if she didn't even know what it was, how was she supposed to fix it.  
  
"We're trying to help him sweetie," Santana murmured softly before turning around and continuing her trip to the Kitchen.  
  
The young girl gave a resolute nod of her head, her lips pursed in determination, "When he gets back he can draw with me it always makes me feel better."  
  
"I think he would like that a lot," Quinn mused, running her fingers through Beth's hair as the little girl turned around to carry on drawing with Kurt.  
  
Judy walked into the kitchen just in time to see Santana throw her phone onto the table and collapse into the chair, "Not answering?" she questioned, sitting in the chair opposite the girl. Santana shook her head, chuckling wryly.  
  
"I can't get through either," the older woman murmured with a resigned sigh. "After the very abrupt end to my call with my husband, I have been trying to call back and have been met with no success."  
  
Santana nodded her head in acknowledgement but said nothing, the two falling into an awkward silence for a few moments, Judy fidgeting restlessly in her chair she had so many questions, she just wasn't sure the Latina was the right person to ask.  
  
Santana sighed in annoyance, the older woman's restless silence screaming louder than any words could, "Just ask."  
  
Judy looked at her for a long moment before finally relenting, "Was all that true?" Santana nodded her head, eyes locked on her phone.  
  
"Why didn't she say anything?" Judy asked, desperation seeping into her voice she couldn't understand why she wouldn't tell them the audition, the club those were important milestones that she would have liked to have been there for.  
  
Santana slowly bought her gaze back up to the woman, her eyebrow arched in disbelief, "What makes you so sure that she didn't."  
  
Judy searched the girl's eyes for a moment, looking for any sign that she was lying, but finding nothing but honesty reflected there. She sighed, breaking eye contact with the Latina and looking down at the table, "How bad is it?"  
  
Santana leant forward, clasped hands resting on the table, "It's bad they haven't been happy for a while now." She watched as the older woman's lip began to quiver in sadness and sighed she hated people crying around her, "Look if it's any consolation they haven't been alone, we've been keeping them busy."  
  
Judy nodded her head, wiping away the single tear that had slipped from her eye, "Thank you," she whispered, giving the girl a weak smile.  
  
The Latina shrugged off her thanks, "It's all good was fun actually," She stated. "That being said I told you this so you could fix it, because no matter what we do we will never be able to make them as happy as you and Quinn can."  
  
Sam decided to enter the kitchen at that moment, having been sent to look for the two, "Hey, we were about to start jamming in the living room and Quinn wanted me to come and get you guys."  
  
Judy smiled at the boy, her and Santana standing from their seats to follow him into the other room.  
  
"Do you think Luke will mind if I use his guitar I figured I could serve as an accompaniment to Puck," Sam explained, staring pleadingly at Judy.  
  
The older woman locked eyes with the other girl, her eyebrow arched in challenge. The message she was sending was clear fix it and fix it she most certainly would. Judy turned her focus back to the boy, a warm smile on her face, "I don't think using Luke's guitar would be best but Kevin has one in our apartment that I'm sure he wouldn't mind you using," she explained, handing him the keys to her apartment.  
  
Sam grinned widely, grabbing the keys and running out the front door.  
  
Santana smiled at the woman, nodding her head in appreciation of her attempt she knew Lucas would just be more confused by the sight of his things being used without him being present, and apparently now Judy did too, "It's a start," she murmured, walking back into the living room without a backward glance.  
  
A small genuine smile formed on the older woman's face, "It's a start " she repeated quietly as she followed in the Latina's path.  
  
Rachel was sitting in the back of the SUV as Kevin drove them back home, a completely distraught Lucas crying his eyes out on her lap. "I know baby shhh I know," she cooed, cradling him tightly to her chest, hoping her heart beat would soothe him, "We're almost home now."  
  
The entire day had been going fantastic until the small boy had noticed a man and a woman walk past with their daughter and began to tremble with fear, instantly wetting himself. Rachel had kicked herself for not having enough foresight to put a pull-up on him, she had just been so distracted by the whole shirt saga that she had completely forgotten. Needless to say their day in the park was immediately over, they stopped at the store on the way home to buy some Pull-ups, the brunette having to put them on a completely inconsolable Lucas in the back seat as they made their journey home.  
  
"Mama's sorry she forgot the pull-up ," she whispered soothingly, patting his diaper covered backside that was now being shielded by her jersey, that had been wrapped securely around his waist in placement of his pants, which were too wet to be worn. "It was her bad," she added, humming gently into his hair, the small boy immediately beginning to calm at the sound.  
  
Kevin parked the car outside the apartment complex, spinning in his chair to look at the two in the back, "Are we ready to go?" he asked.  
  
The diva looked down at her son, his tiny fist gripping tightly to her as he released a few hiccoughed whimpers into her chest. She slid her hand down the side of his head to his ear, removing his hearing aid with a kiss to his head, "Now we're ready," she responded, opening her door and getting out, Lucas still clutched firmly to her.  
  
As they approached the door to the complex, they noticed Mr and Mrs Watson approaching from the other direction, obviously there to fetch Beth. The couple locked eyes with each other briefly, having noticed the clearly upset baby and the very tired young woman. When they had arrived there that morning to introduce Beth to everyone they could see how distressed the small boy was and in turn how stressed and frustrated his mother was. They knew quite well who they were, they had never met them until today but Quinn had mentioned them, not in any real detail as their time was usually spent discussing Beth, but enough to be able to pick them out in a line up. It was something they were completely okay with until they met them and saw the effect that all this was having on them. When Beth had approached them and asked if she could meet the people she came from, they didn't even think once about how it might impact on the lives of the other people that were involved in the situation they just wanted Beth happy she was their main priority in life and they were willing to do anything for her but that didn't take away from the guilt they felt after seeing that little boy this morning.  
  
"Hey," Mrs Watson murmured, a sympathetic smile on her face, "is everything okay?" she questioned, gesturing to the small boy.  
  
"Oh Yeah " she replied, brushing off the woman's concerns, "he just had a little mishap at the park."  
  
She stared sceptically at the young brunette for a moment before deciding to be bluntly honest. "You don't have to lie you know, I can see that he's not coping to well with this and neither are you," she stated softly, placing a comforting hand on the young girl's back.  
  
Rachel bit her lip, turning to face the couple as they arrived at the apartment door, "It hasn't been a walk in the park" she murmured softly, "but you do what you have to do for the ones you love right even if it doesn't always make you feel good."  
  
Mrs Watson nodded her head with a sad smile; they knew that all too well it's exactly what they did for Beth. They had all had to make sacrifices she just wondered how extensive this young family's had been.  
  
"Come on " Kevin murmured, directing the Watson's into the house with Brittany, "I'll take you to Beth."  
  
Rachel slowly walked in behind them, slumping into the chair in the kitchen with a huff. She ran her fingers through Lucas' hair, placing a lingering kiss to his head. She gently rocked the small boy, her eyes closed tightly as she savoured in the rare moment of silence she had found herself in.  
  
It was not to last however, when, what felt like a few seconds later, the sound of heels connecting with floor drew her attention to the door. There stood one Judy Fabray, a look of hesitant joy on her face she was so glad to see them, but now that she was no longer ignorant of how they had been feeling she had absolutely no idea how to even begin to approach them.  
  
"Hi," she murmured quietly as she walked tentatively into the kitchen.  
  
"Hi Judes How's everything been going?" she asked, eyes drifting from the older woman to Lucas and back again.  
  
"It's been going well, we just had a rather entertaining group singing session," she explained with a smile, lowering herself into the chair opposite the girl.  
  
Rachel chuckled softly, letting the familiarity of the conversation wash over her she had missed this, "That honestly does not surprise me one bit," She exclaimed.  
  
Judy nodded her head in agreement, "We missed you two though no impromptu singing session is complete without our two favourite singers."  
  
The brunette's smile dimmed slightly, she knew what the woman was trying to do and she honestly appreciated it, she just really wasn't in the right state of mind to handle anyone else's guilt and pity, when she had her own insecurities and Lucas' concerns to deal with already. She gave the woman a nod of her head, a tight smile on her face.  
  
"I'm sorry," Judy murmured, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable I just I wanted "  
  
"I know " Rachel responded, "and you didn't make me uncomfortable it's just been a long day," She added with a sigh.  
  
"Yeah " Judy stated with a nod of understanding, finally taking in the girl's appearance, noticing the almost pasty tone to her skin and the dark bags under her eyes she looked exhausted, "Why don't I take Lucas for a while and you can relax for a bit, regroup have a cup of coffee or something."  
  
Rachel looked down at the small boy, leaning down slightly so she could talk into his good ear, "What do you say baby  do you want to go with granny for a while so I can organise us something to drink?" she cooed, kissing the ear she was speaking into.  
  
Lucas clung tightly to his mama, turning red rimmed eyes to stare hesitantly at his grandma. Judy's heart broke at the reluctance she saw reflected in his eyes, that look hadn't been directed her way since they first met since before she became grandma.  
  
The brunette could see the absolute look of disappointment on the older woman's face at the small boy's hesitance to spend time with her and knew she had to intervene somehow, "Chocolate milk sounds good doesn't it?" she questioned, nuzzling his temple with her nose. At his nod she continued, "Then why don't you go with granny and get changed and I'll get that for you," she explained.  
  
Lucas looked at Judy before giving a small nod of his head, "Be here when I get back?" he asked burrowing into her chest.  
  
"Yeah baby," she responded, "I'll be right here waiting with your drink."  
  
The petite boy placed a kiss to her collar bone before turning slightly and stretching out to Judy, who immediately took him, standing from her chair to go and change him. Rachel got up, handing his hearing aid and wet pants to the older woman, "Could you please put that on his dresser "she gestured to the device, "and those into soak with his other pants," she stated, pointing at the wet pants.  
  
Judy nodded, cradling the small boy tightly to her chest as she turned and walked towards the hallway, Kevin latching on and going with her.  
  
Rachel walked into the living room about 20 minutes later, a small smile on her face. She had spent the last few minutes sitting on the steps outside their apartment, cradling a cup of coffee between her hands, relaxing and regrouping as Judy had suggested. It had done wonders, she definitely wasn't relaxed and she was as stressed as ever but the headache that was forming was gone and that was a definite plus.  
  
She was watching all her friends interact with each other and the little girl who had had such a huge influence on all their lives in high school, and couldn't help the grin that broke out on her face it was nice to see them all so happy.  
  
She was just about to join the group when she felt something impact against her legs. She looked down to identify the source only to come face to face with her son, grinning up at her, wearing cargo pants and nothing else.  
  
She knelt down next to him, running her hands up and down his arms, "Care to explain to mama, why you're half dressed little man?"  
  
"He ran away before we could get anything else on him," Kevin stated, him and Judy having arrived in the room.  
  
"I see " she exclaimed, looking up at the pair, "Could you fetch his chocolate milk, it's in his sippy cup on the shelf."  
  
Judy arched her brow in confusion; Lucas hadn't needed a sippy cup for about a year. She had wanted to question it but decided against, choosing rather to trust the girl's judgement. She nodded her head, walking into the kitchen with her husband.  
  
Rachel pulled Lucas to stand between her knees, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. The brunette had held him in the embrace for about a minute, hoping that it would soothe the small boy enough to get him to go to sleep, when a loud squeal from the other side of the room disrupted the moment.  
  
Rachel looked up just in time to see the miniature version of her girlfriend barrelling towards her, only stopping inches from her and a now rigid and trembling Lucas.  
  
"Hi " Beth murmured softly, a small blush covering her cheeks, "I wanted to see if the baby wanted to come draw with me."  
  
The diva smiled lovingly at the small girl, wrapping her arm around the girl and pulling her into a hug. "That's very sweet of you honey, but I think Mr. Grumpy Pants here needs to take a nap," she stated, kissing the little girl's cheek, "But I'll tell you what, why don't you draw a picture for him and I'll make sure he gets it."  
  
Beth nodded her head, looking at Lucas quivering in his mother's arms, "Okay " she answered, "I think a naps a good idea too, when I was little I had to take naps and they always made me feel better."  
  
"You know " Rachel began, running the back of her hand down the girl's cheek, "he's actually only about a year younger than you."  
  
The little girl frowned in confusion, "Why's he so small then?" she asked, Lucas instantly gripping tightly to the diva's shirt.  
  
Rachel didn't know how to answer that question in a way that would allow Beth to understand without reminding Lucas of his shortcomings so she decided not to, choosing to change the subject instead. "Why don't you get started on those pictures, huh?" she questioned, tapping the girl gently on the backside, hoping she wouldn't continue with her line of enquiry.  
  
Beth stared at them for a moment, brow furrowed in contemplation before finally nodding her head with a shrug of her shoulder's, "Okay will you come sing with me when he's sleeping, mommy and daddy say we can stay a little longer, so we still have time."  
  
The diva smiled warmly at the little girl, "That sounds like a plan," she mused, brushing some hair behind the girl's ear,"Now go get drawing, so the picture is finished  by the time we sing." She softly admonished, nudging the girl in the direction of the table, watching as she skipped away.  
  
Judy approached the pair, leaning down so she could pick up Lucas, who thankfully came to her without much fuss, "Why don't we take Luke with us downstairs with the Watson's, so that you can get to know Beth a little better," She suggested softly.  
  
The brunette directed a grateful smile at the older woman, "That sounds like a really good idea," she murmured as she returned to a standing position, kissing Lucas' forehead.  
  
"Okay " Judy declared enthusiastically, giving Lucas his sippy cup. "Come on baby boy, say goodbye to your mommies, we're going downstairs with the Watson's now," she exclaimed as she walked towards the front door.  
  
Lucas instantly froze in his grandmother's arms, the sippy cup slipping from his hands as he began to tremble uncontrollably he didn't want to leave his mommies, he liked his mommies he didn't want to go with the Watson's.  
  
"No," he whimpered, "No,No,No " he added, his voice slowly rising in volume as panic began to set in and he attempted to scramble over Judy's shoulder back to his mother, "MAMA!" he yelled, "Don't make me go Keep Me!" tears now streaming down his face, "I'm special like you .Don't make me go!" he gasped through sobs, the entire room now watching the small boy. "I'll be better .I'll be better!" he exclaimed, his arms flailing, connecting with Judy's face several times with Judy's face, "I'm sorry .I'm sorry, I'll be better!" he whimpered, gasping for air, eyes wide and desperate, as he attempted to escape Judy's grip.  
  
Rachel immediately walked over to Judy, taking Lucas' cheeks between her hands, the small boy immediately calming when his brown eyes locked with hers, "We are not giving you away," she stated slowly and resolutely to ensure she was getting through to him. "I love you too much to do that you are stuck with me for the rest of your life kid," she placed a series of kisses to his forehead, cheeks and lips, "No more tears okay you're not going anywhere."  
  
Lucas nodded his head, inhaling shakily but deeply, resting his forehead against his mother's. Judy stared over Lucas' head at everyone in the room, her eyes landing on her blonde daughter. The girl was standing in the middle of the room, a look of pure worry and concern etched on her face she could see the conflict playing out on her face, she had clearly been making her way over to the group but had stopped and was now unsure of whether to continue or not. She sent a sad smile to the girl before turning her focus to the diva, "Maybe you should come downstairs with us, I don't think he wants to be away from you today."  
  
Rachel nodded her head, her eyes closed as she continued to cradle her sons head between her hands, her forehead still resting against his, "Okay " she murmured, finally pulling back so she could look into his eyes, "You are going to go downstairs with granny and grandpa. They will put an episode of Sponge Bob Square Pants on for you to watch and I promise I'll be there before it finishes."  
  
Lucas bit his lip in contemplation but nodded his head. The diva stared at him a moment longer before releasing her hold on him and giving Judy the go ahead to carry onto her apartment as originally planned. "I'll see you soon," she called, watching them walk out front door before turning and walking down the hallway, not sparing one glance at the people in the living room.  
  
Rachel sat on her side of the bed, her head cradled in her hands how had she let it get to this point. She thought she was doing the right thing by everyone, letting Quinn be happy and distracting Lucas herself, but it had all blown up and now she didn't know what to do.  
  
The sound of multiple footsteps heading to and entering the room caused her to turn her head slightly to the side, presenting her with the sight of two people she really did not need to see together at that moment.  
  
Quinn and Puck stood just inside the door, his hand resting on the blonde's lower back with an intimacy that the diva did not like at all it was the final straw, the one thing that pushed her over the edge and she just couldn't hold back the pain, anguish and absolute contempt she felt any longer. She rolled her head back into her hands, "So we're a threesome now?" she asked, jaw clenching, "Because I don't flow like that so if that is where this is going, tell me so that I can get out now."  
  
Quinn stood absolutely flabbergasted by what the brunette had just said did she honestly believe that, "Rach what's going on?" she asked softly, somewhat hesitantly as she took one step away from Puck and towards the diva. Rachel looked up at the girl, taking in her uncertain appearance, and sighed guiltily she hated when the blonde felt bad, it was part of the reason they were in this position. "We'll talk about it later," She exhaled as she stood up. "Right now, I have to go downstairs to be with my son and you guys are going to go back into the living room to spend what time you have left with your daughter," she explained, walking past the duo only to have her progress halted by Puck gripping onto her arm.  
  
"Rach "  
  
"Don't " she seethed, her voice dangerously low. She jerked her arm from his grip, her anger bubbling straight back to the surface. For the last month he had completely ignored her relationship with the blonde, completely disrespecting her in the process and he was supposed to be her best friend. She turned a stony glare at the boy, "I don't want to talk to you, I don't even want to see you after this," she growled. "I know you and Quinn have some sort of co-dependent thing going on, but when I said I would speak to her later, I meant her alone I don't want to see you in this apartment after this night for a long while," She breathed heavily, "and I don't want you anywhere near Lucas which really shouldn't be difficult for you, you've already been doing a fine job of it this past month." She briefly shot a look at the tearful blonde standing next to them before returning her focus to the boy, "I have no control over Quinn, so if she wants to continue your trysts I have no say in that just make sure they happen at your place and not at my apartment." She fixed the boy with a hard, determined glare, "Do we have an understanding?"  
  
"Understood," Puck responded, his voice hoarse.  
  
The brunette nodded, directing a short glance at the blonde before walking out the room. Rachel lay on the bed in Judy and Kevin's guest room, a sleeping Lucas lying next to her. It had been about 2 hours since her encounter with Quinn and Puck and about an hour since Beth and the Watson's had left. She had felt so guilty when she had to tell the small girl that she could only sing one song with her, she had been so upset but had accepted her explanation that her baby needed her just like she needed her mommy sometimes. She had spent the last 2 hours pondering everything that had happened with Quinn and Puck, feeling slightly guilty for some of what she had said she had let her own insecurities get the best of her. She didn't really believe they were having an affair, but that didn't erase the hurt she felt when she saw them acting like they were a couple.  
  
The brunette felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end and knew instantly who else was now present in the room with them, "Has everybody gone home?" she questioned softly, hand resting gently on Lucas' back.  
  
Quinn nodded her head, walking slowly towards the bed and taking a seat, "Yeah the apartment is officially empty." She stated quietly, running a single finger down the little boy's foot, his toes curling in response despite his slumber.  
  
"Did you arrange with the Watson's to see Beth again?" she whispered, staring up at the blonde.  
  
"Yeah " the blonde nodded, releasing a sigh of frustration. It wasn't that she minded the small talk, it was just that she knew that it was currently being used as a form of avoidance there was a huge elephant sitting in the room with them and she just really wanted to address it. "Are we really going to talk about this right now?" she asked.  
  
Rachel sighed, giving a resigned nod of her head; she was so scared about how this conversation was going to end and had wanted to delay it for as long as possible but the blonde was right, the time for avoidance had come and gone it was finally time to address their issues. "We should go back to our apartment we don't want to wake Luke up," she explained.  
  
Quinn nodded her consent, allowing the diva to lead the way out of her mother's apartment, upstairs and into their own; closing the door behind them the moment had finally arrived. The blonde leant against the kitchen shelf, arms crossed over her chest, just watching the brunette flit around the kitchen, "Rach "she called, "we need to talk about this."  
  
"Do you want some coffee first?" she questioned, setting up the coffee machine.  
  
Quinn walked over to the girl, stepping up behind her and stilling her hands, "No, I don't want coffee," she murmured softly, "I'm going crazy Rach I need to know what's going on and I need to know now."  
  
Rachel nodded her head, sliding out from between the blonde and the counter and walking to the other side of the kitchen she needed to put some distance between them if she wanted any chance of actually expressing what was on her mind her girlfriend had a way of making her forget things. She took a moment to regroup and organise her thoughts before looking up at the other girl, who had resumed her position against the shelf. "Do you know that today was the first time that we've actually really spoken in a month that this is one of the first real conversations that we've had in a month and it's likely going to be a fight," she stated, resuming an identical position to the blonde except on the opposite side of the kitchen.  
  
Quinn bristled slightly at the statement, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "That's not true."  
  
"Yeah it is Quinn, don't confuse your conversations with Puck as ones you've had with me we've hardly spoken other than a few greetings and goodbyes, and to discuss meal menus."  
  
The blonde stayed quiet a moment, thinking back on the times she had been home over the last month and found the diva to be right. When she wasn't on the phone with Puck or sleeping, she remained to herself, thinking about Beth and hardly interacting with her family at all but she wasn't solely to blame, it's not like the brunette had tried to engage her in conversation either. "It takes two to have a conversation Rachel, you could have tried talking to me."  
  
The diva chuckled wryly with a shake of her head, "I tried Quinn, but I quickly found that you weren't interested in what was happening in our lives and you clearly didn't want me involved in anything to do with Beth so I just stopped trying."  
  
"That's not true!" Quinn exclaimed indignantly.  
  
"Oh yeah " Rachel challenged, "Then how come the first time I got to meet Beth was with all the other gleeks. I love them, I do but in this situation I should have been treated a little bit more important than them." She stated, beginning to pace her side of the kitchen, "I should have been invited to some prior meeting s with Beth and the Watson's. I would understand not wanting me there if we were in a new relationship or perhaps some passing phase, but we aren't we're in a committed long term relationship for Christ sake!"  
  
Quinn could do nothing but watch the diva pace angrily. She hadn't realised it was coming across that way, she had been so preoccupied with meeting Beth and being given a chance to get to know her that everything else kind of fell to the wayside, "I'm sorry " she murmured after a moment or two, "It was never my intention to make it seem like I didn't want you involved with Beth or that I didn't want to be involved in your lives you guys mean the world to me. I just got distracted with everything to do with Beth and I'm sorry for that."  
  
Rachel spun to face the blonde once more, "We mean the world to you?" she asked incredulously. "Tell me Quinn did you tell Beth who Luke and I were? I assume you must have seeing as how we mean the world to you and all."  
  
The blonde dropped her head, eyes locking on the floor, tears beginning to accumulate, "No " she whispered, "I didn't tell her because I didn't want to confuse her."  
  
"So you rather let her believe that you and Puck were a wonderful loving couple," she seethed angrily, shrugging her shoulders in mock casualty. "My lack of presence at the prior meetings all of a sudden makes so much sense wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong idea or is it the right idea in this instance!"  
  
By this stage tears were streaming down Quinn's face, she'd never seen Rachel like this, she was so hurt and so angry she had never wanted to be the person to cause her that pain.  
  
"Tell me Quinn did you give your son that same courtesy?" she questioned, glaring at the suddenly confused blonde.  
  
"Your son, who has a condition that may make it difficult for him to comprehend certain things did you care enough about him to consider how confused he may have gotten by telling him about Beth?" she asked rhetorically, knowing the answer already.  
  
Quinn gaped at her, a fresh wave of tears falling she had been so excited by the prospect of Beth being back in her life that she didn't really consider how Lucas would handle it he was always so mature that it was sometimes easy to forget he was just a baby, "I I didn't I don't "  
  
"That'right! You Didn't Quinn!" she yelled, voice cracking as her own tears began to fall, "You've spent the last month with blinkers on, you haven't seen the effect this is having on him." Her shoulders sagged as the anger began to drain from her body, "He's peeing his pants again, spilling more than usual when drinking, barely sleeping at all he out right refuses to wear anything Puck gave him," she explained, slowly calming down as she spoke about her son. "He feels betrayed he thinks Puck is taking you away from us and that you're replacing him with Beth," she chuckled deprecatingly, dropping into a seat at the kitchen table. "He thinks you're replacing him because Beth is better normal.  
  
He thinks " she murmured, staring down at the table, "that you care more for Beth and Puck and you know what at the moment I'm inclined to agree with him."  
  
Quinn shook her head emphatically, walking over to where the diva was seated and nudging her legs apart so she could kneel between them, "Never " she stated resolutely, gripping the brunette's thighs, "you are my family and words cannot express how sorry I am." She attempted to catch tearful brown eyes, "I love Beth so very much, but I in no way love her more than Lucas and I promise you with everything that I am that there is nothing going on between Puck and I I love you and only you." She wrapped her arms around the girl's waist, burying her head into jean clad thighs as the tears flowed thick and fast, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I ever made you guys feel this I was caught up in the moment, but I promise it won't happen again," she gasped between sobs, nuzzling into the brunette's thighs.  
  
Rachel bit her lip, attempting to stem the flow of tears as she hesitantly rested her hand on the blonde's head, massaging her scalp soothingly, "I'm sorry too I should have talked to you about this, but I didn't want to put a damper on this situation for you you deserved to be happy and enjoy meeting your daughter without having something negative hanging over it," she stated quietly, the girl's cries dying down. "I knew it was going to be hard and it was at the beginning. I just assumed it would get easier once we all adjusted to the situation but it never happened and I began to think that maybe this was our new normal now." Quinn twisted slightly so she could stare up at the brunette, a watery smile being directed her way, "and that made me so unhappy, because for the first time since we got together I felt like the outsider like an unwanted third wheel. It made feel uncomfortable in my own home. It's partly the reason Luke and I spent so much time away from here."  
  
Quinn leant up, cupping the girl's cheek and pulling her onto a series of chaste kisses, "I'm sorry," she murmured against her lips, their tears mingling on their cheeks as their foreheads rested together.  
  
"I know you are," Rachel responded, placing her hands over the blonde's resting on her cheeks, "I know you are."  
  
"We're okay right?" Quinn asked, a hint of fear in her eyes.  
  
Rachel smiled warmly, hoping to assuage some of the girl's fears, "I think we're going to be fine "  
  
The blonde exhaled in relief, returning to her previous position with her head resting in the diva's lap, hugging her in tightly. Neither knew how long they stayed in the position before the sound of someone knocking on the door ended the moment. They reluctantly broke the embrace and opened the door to reveal Judy and a very tired but very awake Lucas.  
  
"He woke up and noticed you weren't there," Judy explained, swaying him gently, "Needless to say he refused to go back to sleep without you." Rachel extracted him from her arms, "Thanks Judes, we'll take it from here." Judy stared at them for a moment, her lip quirking up into a half smile upon noticing how close they were standing and how relaxed they seemed to be despite the clear indications that both girl's had been crying. She bid them goodnight, making her way back downstairs with a beaming smile on her face maybe everything would work out alright after all.  
  
Quinn turned to the brunette, placing a kiss to both her and Lucas' heads, "I have something I need to do, but I'll be back soon," she stated softly, before turning and walking out the door, not giving the girl a chance to object, knowing that if she expressed a desire for her to stay she would she wouldn't do this, and she really needed to do this for all of their piece of mind.  
  
The brunette sighed, a smile forming on her lips as she closed the door, "Come on little man, bed is calling both our names," she mumbled, nuzzling his temple as she walked towards their bedrooms.  
  
Quinn fidgeted by the door as she waited for the apartments occupants, one particular aspect of Rachel's concerns had been plaguing her, and she needed to sort it out before she could truly start to repair her relationships with her family she couldn't stand them doubting her commitment to them.  
  
The sound of locks clicking out of place and a door knob being turned drew her focus to the door, which opened to reveal one very sad, very guilty Noah Puckerman. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to come," he murmured, gesturing for her to come inside and closing the door behind her.  
  
"Where's Finn and Sam?" she asked, turning around to face him.  
  
"Out " he responded, walking past her to the fridge to grab a beer, "they've gone to the movies with Kurt, Blaine and Mercedes." He stared at her for a moment, taking a swig from his bottle, "What brings you here?" he asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew she had been present when Rachel all but band him from the apartment after all.  
  
"I spoke with Rach about an hour ago and we basically laid all our cards out on the table to be seen I mean she didn't leave a stone unturned and she sugar coated absolutely nothing," she explained, staring at the man. "It was hard, and it was fast and it hurt so much but I am so grateful that it happened because now I can make things right."  
  
"Okay " Puck stated, his brow furrowed in confusion unsure of what this had to do with him.  
  
"Over the last month " she began slowly, "we gave Rachel the impression that we were more than friends and that got me wondering if someone else might have had that impression."  
  
Puck sighed, "I don't know Quinn, maybe " his reply instantly dying on his lips when he noticed the accusing glare she was fixing him with. "Me?" he asked.  
  
"The increase in physical contact over this past month what was that?" she asked, arms crossing over her chest.  
  
"Hey!" The boy exclaimed, pointing at her, "You were a willing participant in every embrace and handhold so don't go accusing me of something you're just as guilty of."  
  
"The only thing I'm guilty of, was being caught up in the moment and clutching onto the one person who was going through it with me " she stated, voice rising with conviction, "but I never, not once, thought of you as more than a friend if you can say the same, then I will leave and we can pretend this conversation never happened."  
  
Puck studied the girl carefully for a few seconds before dropping his gaze to the floor with a sigh, "I can't do that Quinn," he murmured.  
  
The blonde sighed, "Are you in love with me?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know Quinn " Puck exclaimed, exhaling in frustration he couldn't believe they were actually having this conversation. "This last month it just it reminded me of what life could have been like if we had kept her you know we could have been a family," he mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders. "Don't you ever think about it?"  
  
"Puck " she sighed, giving him a small sympathetic smile, "I don't think about it because it never would have happened," she stated softly. "We were never going to be a family Puck because I have never been in love with you and if you're honest with yourself you know that you've never been in love with me either. We created Beth so that the Watson's could have a family she was never really ours to keep," she explained, walking over to lean next to the boy.  
  
"She's an amazing little girl Puck and I'm so grateful to be given the opportunity to get to know her, but her presence in our lives does not make the three of us a family she already has a family, who loves her very much..." she murmured, "and I have a family, who I love dearly and who I have been neglecting and who you have been disregarding."  
  
Puck stared at her with a sad smile, "You think she'll forgive me?"  
  
"It's one of the things I love most about her she is very forgiving," she mused, a fond smile on her face as she thought about the diva. "Just give her the space she asked for " she said, bumping his arm with her own, "and you need to try to move past this fantasy you've been living I am you're best friends girl, and if I remember correctly, that's a major violation of the bro code," she stated teasingly.  
  
Puck knew she was actually serious, but he was grateful for her attempt to bring some levity to this situation, "Yeah, yeah " he mumbled, taking another sip of his beer. "You should get going, I'm sure your lady is waiting for you."  
  
Quinn nodded, pushing off the shelf and walking towards the door, only stopping at the sound of her name being called. "Can you just can you tell her how sorry I am again?" he asked.  
  
The blonde smiled sympathetically at him, "I will " she murmured before turning around and walking out the door. Quinn walked into her home, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible, completely conscious of the fact that it was likely that her family was sleeping. She turned and placed her keys onto the kitchen counter, her brow furrowing in confusion when she noticed a dim light illuminating from the living room. She kicked off her shoes by the door and slowly tiptoed into the room, the sight that greeted her melting her heart.  
  
Lucas stood in the room, eyes fixed on the wet patch on the couch, his right hand subconsciously gripping the crotch of his pyjama pants a clear indication to the blonde that he either needed to go or that he just had.  
  
"Luke," she called quietly, the small boy's head instantly snapping towards her, a beaming smile forming on his face.  
  
"Mommy," he responded in quiet awe, running across the room to the blonde woman, arms outstretched to her.  
  
Quinn crouched down, accepting the little boy's enthusiastic embrace, "Hey buddy," she cooed, pulling him tightly into her chest, "What are you doing awake?"  
  
He buried his head into her neck, gripping firmly onto her shirt, "I woke up and you not back thought you were gone," he mumbled.  
  
The blonde felt her heart break at the petite boy's confession, "Awww baby that would never happen," she murmured soothingly, cradling his head against her neck. "I love you and mama too much to ever leave you," she added, placing a series of kisses to his head.  
  
Lucas nodded his head in acknowledgement, inhaling deeply, savouring in the feeling of comfort and warmth that she always provided him with it was something that he had missed.  
  
Quinn was more than satisfied to just sit right where she was on the floor and hold him for however long he needed it, until she felt him squirm in her arms, reminding her of a possible more pressing matter. She pulled back slightly, staring down at the small boy, running her fingers through his hair, "Do you need to go to the toilet?" she asked softly.  
  
Lucas bit his lip, much like she herself did when nervous, before finally shaking his head. She nodded her head, immediately knowing what he wasn't saying. She lifted the elastic of his pyjama pants, noticing the pull-up underneath, "Do you need to be changed?" she asked softly.  
  
The small boy said nothing, merely giving her a small nod of his head.  
  
"Okay "Quinn groaned as she stood up, Lucas still cradled in her arms, "Come on, let's go get you changed.  
  
The blonde took him to the bathroom to get cleaned up before carrying him through to his room and sitting him down on his bed. She knelt down on the floor in front of him, so that she was eye level with him, "So " she drawled, eyes locked with his, "are we going to put a pull-up on or are we going to put some underpants on," she asked, poking him gently in the stomach.  
  
"Big boy pants!" he exclaimed with a confident nod of his head.  
  
Quinn smiled lovingly at the small boy, she would start with this she could fix this, "Okay " she stated, getting up and grabbing him some briefs. "Up!" she exclaimed, Lucas immediately complying, resting his hands on her shoulders for balance as she helped him put on both his undies and pants.  
  
The petite boy smiled up at her, adoration in his eyes. Cupping her face between his hands, he leant up and placed a kiss to her lips, "I love you mommy," he murmured.  
  
"I love you too baby," she whispered softly, picking him up and laying him down on his pillow. "Sleep now, okay?" she stated softly, kissing his head, "If you need us we'll be just down the hall," she cooed, massaging his scalp gently in a way that she knew he loved.  
  
Lucas' eyelids fluttered for a moment, fighting valiantly against the onset of sleep before finally giving into desire and allowing his eyes to drift shut. The blonde continued the motion until his breathing evened out, placing one final kiss to his head before making her way out of the room, switching off the light and pulling the door closed slightly behind her.  
  
She turned and quietly began to make her down the hall to her room, rolling her eyes when she noticed light illuminating under the door did no one in this family sleep. Quinn opened the door to reveal Rachel sitting up in bed reading a book.  
  
"What are you still doing up?" she queried, pushing the door slightly closed before making her way over to the dressing table to begin changing into her pj's.  
  
"I couldn't sleep without making sure we were okay," she responded, watching intently as the blonde got undressed and then redressed, "We promised each other we would never go to sleep mad and I wanted to make sure we didn't."  
  
Quinn pulled her sleep shirt over her head before making her way over to the bed and flopping down next to the diva, gently extracting the book from the girl's hand and placing it on her side table, "And what about the past month did you make sure we didn't go to be mad then?" she asked, grasping the brunette's hand and threading their fingers together.  
  
Rachel sighed, "I wasn't mad."  
  
"Really "Quinn exclaimed, "Could have fooled me, you certainly sounded like you had an awful lot you needed to get off your chest."  
  
"Quinn " she exhaled, "we've been through this I didn't want to ruin this for you I figured suppressing a little anger, more at the situation than at you might I add, would be the right thing to do if it meant that you got to be happy."  
  
"Well no more," she stated, untangling their fingers and wrapping her arm around the girl's waist, pulling her so they were laying flush against each other, "You talk to me no matter what the situation because you guys are my whole world and it kills me to know I caused you so much pain."  
  
Rachel turned in the embrace so they were facing each other more fully, "I promise," she murmured, eyes slipping closed, "and you've got to make a concerted effort to keep us included in everything that is going on in your life I don't like feeling excluded," she pouted.  
  
"I promise," the blonde replied, pulling the girl into a languid kiss, her arms instantly tightening it had been too long since they had been this close this connected.  
  
Rachel instantly responded to the girl's affection, arching into her. She hooked her leg around Quinn's hip, rolling them over so that she was lying directly on top of the blonde, their bodies touching in all the right places, "God I've missed you," she mumbled between kissed.  
  
"Me too baby," she replied, opening her thighs so the brunette could settle comfortable between them, her lips instantly taking up residence on the other girl's neck they both needed this, needed to feel the closeness, needed to reconnect in every way. Tonight they would focus on them, all their other problems could wait for tomorrow.  
  
Rachel was roused from her sleep by the sound of their bedroom door creaking as it was pushed open. She cracked an eye open, a tired smile forming on her lips as she saw her small son padding to the bed, a beaming smile on his face. He climbed onto the bed, careful not to jostle the sleeping blonde curled up against the diva's back. He crawled towards the brunette, curling up tightly against her chest, "Hey mama," her whispered, fisting her shirt.  
  
The diva wrapped her arm around him, squeezing him gently, "Morning baby," she murmured, eyes slipping closed as the blonde tightened her grip on her waist, "Did you sleep well?" she asked, kissing his head. He nodded his head, "I'm dry," he exclaimed, so proud of his accomplishment.  
  
Rachel smiled, dropping her hand to his bottom to feel for herself, "I can feel that," she mused, tapping his bum gently, "God job baby." He grinned widely at her praise, "Mommy still sleeping?" he asked.  
  
Quinn groaned releasing her hold on the diva's waist and stretching to grab Lucas leg, "No," she moaned, picking her head up to look over Rachel at their son, "she's awake now."  
  
Lucas smiled bashfully, "Hey mommy."  
  
"Hey baby," she replied with a tired smile, giving his leg an affectionate tug.  
  
"Are we getting up now?" he asked, attempting to cuddle closer to the diva.  
  
The blonde gripped his leg tightly, giving it a small shake, "Why don't you head to the living room and watch some cartoons and mama and I'll be down in a moment."  
  
The small boy gave an enthusiastic nod of his head, "Okay," he exclaimed happily as he extracted himself from their arms, jumped off the bed and ran out the door.  Rachel chuckled wryly snuggling back into the blonde, "How'd you sleep?" she husked, stretching slightly in an attempt to soothe her stiff muscles. Quinn hummed, placing a kiss to the brunette's neck, "Best night's sleep I've had in a while," she murmured, her hand sliding under the girl's shirt and taking up residence on her stomach, stroking it gently.  
  
"Me too " she stated, a content sigh escaping her she had missed mornings of just laying in each other's arms for a few minutes, preparing themselves for their days and enjoying the moment of togetherness, "What's on the agenda for today?" she asked, turning slightly into the girl.  
  
"Well I figured we'd call mom and Kevin and invite them to join us for breakfast," she stated, nuzzling her nose against the brunette's temple, "and then whatever you and Luke want to do."  
  
Rachel pulled back slightly so she could see the blonde's face, "Don't you need to make arrangements with the Watson's and Puck about when next it would be best to see Beth?" she asked curiously.  
  
Quinn shook her head, "There's nothing urgent that needs to be arranged that can't wait a few days. Plus I'm sure Mr and Mrs Watson would like to spend some time with their daughter without Puck and I breathing down their necks just like I want to spend some time with my family, just the 3 of us. It's been a while since we did that."  
  
Rachel bit her lip cutely, "We would really love that "

The blonde smiled, kissing her temple, "It's been a long time coming," she murmured.  
  
The diva sighed, "I don't want you feeling guilty about this last month," she stated softly. "I don't want the memory of the first time you met your daughter to be permanently tainted by it it makes me feel guilty."  
  
"I have absolutely no guilt about meeting Beth " she explained, "What I do have guilt about is how Puck and I acted and how it affected you and Luke."  
  
"Well it's over now " she stated resolutely, her mind drifting to Puck, "For the most part." She sighed heavily, he had been her best friend since birth and they had had some epic fights in the past, always coming out better for it so she had no doubt they would come through this too, that didn't make it any easier to deal with, "Do you think I should call him?"  
  
"That's up to you " she answered, "but I will say that he is very apologetic about what happened, so maybe you could throw him a bone, you know, text him let him know that forgiveness is on the horizon."  
  
Rachel nodded her head, resolving herself to do just that, but she didn't have to do it right now right now she had a little boy downstairs waiting for them, "Come on baby " she exclaimed, getting up and shuffling off the bed, "Our little boy's waiting for us."


End file.
